Subject: A few birds at Kalaloch
Date: Aug 20 21:10:03 1996
From: Kelly McAllister - alleyes at mail.tss.net


Tweeters,

I spent Sunday at Beach 4, Kalaloch (usually pronounced Claylock), the place
where the Pacific Ocean beach begins a transition from predominately sand to
substantially exposed rock. I stood around for hours with my spotting scope
hoping that smelt would appear in the breaking waves. I got a great view of
a pair of Red Crossbills perched low on a dead branch. I only heard a Bald
Eagle, never saw it.

I strained to identify the various birds flying or floating beyond the
breaking waves but I was often unsure what species I was looking at. There
were surf scoters and double-crested cormorants, but how many Brandt's
cormorants? I got a good view of what I thought was a Brandt's cormorant
perched on the rocks. It's profile showed a head that was not slender like
the neck. It was about the same size as the double-crested cormorants
perched nearby and it had no white on the flanks. Also in the surf were a
very few grebes, either Western or Clark's.

I got a pretty good look at a Red-throated Loon. The red throat patch was
bright and the upturned bill very apparent.

I was most entertained by the brown pelicans when they began feeding. I
watched a Brown Pelican circle and wheel and plunge to the ocean's surface.
In many instances I could see the pelican's pouch jiggling vigorously as the
bird worked hard at swallowing, tipping its bill first down then up. A
Heerman's gull was apparently an adherent of the buddy system and would not
leave the pelican's side. When the pelican left the water, so would the
gull but the pelican would climb while the gull stayed low over the water.
When the pelican dove the gull would be right there, pecking at the
pelican's catch (apparently). I am not sure how successful the Heerman's
gull was at stealing fish but I did see one tug-of-war that told me the gull
had succeeded in getting a hold on whatever the pelican had come up with. I
am not sure who won the tug-of-war.

All-in-all it was enjoyable wildlife watching. I had to leave before high
tide which is when everyone expected the smelt to finally begin their beach
swarming. Maybe next year.

Kelly McAllister